5 Tips to Maximise Your Workout May 29, 2017 – Posted in: Health & Fitness, Lifestyle

Have you ever wondered how you can get the most out of your workout? How can you lose weight faster? How do you keep yourself energized throughout every training session? If you ask an expert, he or she will give you a simple answer that applies to all your questions: Eat, drink, wear!

The key point is to eat the right food at the right time, drink enough water and wear the proper attire.

1. Eat Before Workout
Yes, we should eat before a workout, at least 2 hours before in order to allow our food to fully digest. But what to eat?

According to sports nutritionist James Collins, who is the head of nutrition at Arsenal Football Club, our body requires different fuel depending on the type of workout.*1

For high intensity exercises and races, our body uses carbohydrates (stored in the muscles as glycogen) as its main fuel source. Since our body is only able to store a small amount of it, we need to fuel it up with carbs.

During low intensity exercises, such as jogging or walking, the body burns fat as its main energy source. Hence, a high protein meal or snack is enough.

2. Snack During Race
Many Singaporeans love to run marathon races. We have all kinds of races every month throughout the whole year in Singapore.

During a race, energy bars, energy gels and banana are excellent for replenishing carbohydrates. Take small bites while continuing the run. *2

3. Keep Hydrated
We need to always keep ourselves hydrated. In a three-hour marathon, we may lose up to 3 to 5kg of water weight. To prevent dehydration during a race, take 500 to 700ml of fluid about three hours before the race, and take another 300 to 600ml of fluid 15 minutes before the race begins. Drink 150ml to 250ml of fluid at regular intervals to replace fluid loss. Take small sips while running.

Hydrate with sports drink after a race. Isotonic drinks are preferred as they contain similar concentration of salt and sugar as the human body. *2

4. Eat After Workout
Within an hour after a high intensity workout, eat a carbohydrate-rich snack such as banana sandwich and energy bar. Within two to three hours after that, have a balanced meal comprising a lean protein (fish, chicken), carbohydrates (rice, potato, pasta) and good fats (avocado). *2

5. Wear Proper Attire
In order to get the most out of your workout, you need proper sportswear and shoes. And you definitely need a good sports bra, such as Triaction by Triumph, to draw perspiration away from your skin and to support your breasts. When doing high intensity workout, your breasts tend to bounce up and down and side to side. Without good support, you will experience breast pain and sagging.

Watch this video to learn what to look out for when buying a sports bra.
https://youtu.be/1d_MUOksx7g

Sources:
*1 : https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-eat-your-run
*2 : https://www.healthxchange.sg/food-nutrition/food-tips/what-eat-before-during-after-race